Does Deep Breathing Really Do Anything?

April 1, 2020

If you’ve been social distancing for a while now you may be feeling stressed, anxious, or even angry. You’ve probably also heard people talking about combatting those feelings with self care, meditation, and taking deep, mindful breaths.

If you’ve rolled your eyes at the thought of taking deep breaths to combat your coronavirus fears, we understand. It doesn’t seem possible that changing your breathing could be that impactful.

But the truth of the matter is, taking a deep breath is likely exactly what you should do when you’re angry, stressed, or anxious.

Somewhere along the way from childhood to adulthood, most of us subconsciously changed the way we breathe – and not for the better.

As babies and children, we naturally breathe deeper ­­– ever notice how a baby’s belly rises and falls as they breathe in and out? Yet as adults, it’s our chest that rises and falls when we breathe.

Deep Breathing Fundamentals

When you take a deep breath in, your heart rate quickens slightly. As you exhale, your heart rate slows. Repeated deep breaths will naturally bring your heart rate more in sync with your breath. This leads your brain to release endorphins, which are chemicals that have a natural calming effect. But if you’re shallow breathing, that endorphin release doesn’t happen.

Meditation and the Brain

Some studies show that meditation can change the structure of our brains and improve neuroplasticity. This could be due to the fact that the brain is so oxygen dependent, using 20% of the body’s oxygen supply. And just like any other body part, if it doesn’t get what it needs, symptoms can manifest. So, a deficit in oxygen could cause you to feel foggy, unfocused, or on edge.

None of this is to say that taking a few deep breaths now and then will cure your depression, but more so this type of breathing practice might stand to be a useful coping tool for lessening symptoms for a range of issues.

If you’re ready to give deep breathing practice a try but you don’t know where to start, here are a couple of options you can try right at home.

Meditation

Start by sitting on a comfortable chair in a quiet room with the lights dimmed. (You may find it enjoyable to add quiet, gentle music with no lyrics.)

Close your eyes. Try to clear your mind and push away extraneous thoughts. Whenever a stray thought comes to mind during the course of your meditating, just push it gently aside. Remember to count slowly at each step.

Now try this…

Deeply breathe in, counting to three, and breathe out, counting to three

Imagine you are in a field with green grass as far as you can see. In the distance is a big, beautiful tree. Imagine yourself walking toward that tree, sitting down under it and relaxing. Inhale, exhale.

Allow yourself to notice any thoughts, feelings or sensations that come to mind. Don’t analyze them, just note them. You’re simply paying attention, not thinking of them as good or bad or trying to think more deeply about them. Do this for five minutes. Inhale, exhale.

Imagine yourself standing up and leaving the tree and walking back to where you started. Inhale, exhale.

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While there may be information on the Neurocore website relating to certain conditions, should a medical condition exist, promptly see your own physician or health provider. Neurocore does not offer medical diagnosis or treatment advice. Neurocore makes no claims that it can cure any conditions, including any conditions referenced on its website or in print materials, including ADHD, anxiety, autism, depression, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, migraines, headaches, stress, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s and dementia. If you take prescription medications for any of these conditions, you should consult with your physician before discontinuing use of such medications.